


Faithless

by CarnwennanB312



Series: A Leap of Faith [3]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-02-05 09:34:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12791724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarnwennanB312/pseuds/CarnwennanB312
Summary: After fighting the Archon on Meridian, Sara was in a coma for nearly a year. Now she's awake and finding that not only has Heleus changed, so has the enemy. It's a war they can't win unless Sara and Scott can put aside their doubts and unite the Cluster. No matter the cost.





	1. Chaos

Blue lights, like fireflies, lit her world in flashes of neon. They comforted her and kept her dark thoughts at bay.

They were her guardians.

The lights protected her from the umbra though occasionally sounds would penetrate her shadow-world and beckon to her. 

She recognized each voice.

Scott. His voice was thick as he begged her not to leave him alone. Drack. He would demand that she stop lying around, firm in his assertion that she was strong. Liam. He would always speak softly, a tremor of nervousness to his voice as mumbled in an attempt to keep up his one-sided conversations. 

Finally, there was Reyes. Each time he spoke, he sounded as if he were praying. She couldn’t understand his words but she knew their meaning. They were pleas for strength, a call for her to guide him down the path of righteousness. The last time she heard his voice, the tone had changed at the end. Like he was saying goodbye.

Still, she could never bring herself to venture into the darkness. Every instinct told her that only pain lay beyond the safety of the floating blue lights. She was tired of the pain. For once she felt safe and she never wanted to be afraid again.

 

An alarm, sharp and shrill, sent her into darkness. Her blue guardians were snuffed out like candles in a windstorm.

The sound echoed in her ears and left her to wander through the fog. Her limbs were heavy, her head pounding painfully. She wanted her blue lights back, she wanted to be safe again.

Her eyes opened, the world streaked with watery red and white.

“Sara,” the mechanical voice was familiar but different. It held more emotional inflection, correctly conveying shock in the way a human would.

“SAM?” she croaked past her stiff throat.

“Yes, Sara.”

“What’s going on?” she asked, closing her eyes against the pain in her head.

“The Nexus is under attack.”

She pushed herself up, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead as the room spun.

“Move carefully, Sara. Though I was able to keep your muscles from deteriorating during your coma, it will take some time for you to regain full mobility.”

“Coma?” she whispered, shock seeping into her thoughts.

“Yes, after your mind connected to the Meridian engine your brain began to hemorrhage. Dr. T’Perro saved your life but your implant was caught in a feedback loop. I was only recently able to break the connection.”

If it weren’t for the alarms, Sara would have been frozen to the spot but the sudden entrance of Harry ruined any time for introspection.

“You’re awake!” he exclaimed, shock taking over his features for only a moment before a smile brightened his face, “You always did have perfect timing. Can you run?”

Sara flexed her fingers and found only minor fatigue. She felt like she had in the days before SAM when she would wake up from a deep sleep- slow to respond but ultimately in perfect health.

“I’m fine,” she assured Harry, coming to her feet. It took her a moment to regain her balance but she steadied herself against a console, only realizing then that she was in SAM Node. “What’s the situation?” she asked in place of acknowledging what that probably meant.

This time SAM spoke up, “Kett ships have breached the Nexus. I am attempting to lock them out of major systems but there is an unknown entity hacking through my firewalls.”

Sara nodded, pinning Harry with a fierce look, “Where’s my armor?”

There was only a moment of hesitation before Harry turned and waved for her to follow.

He led her to her father’s room on the Hyperion and pulled open one of the cupboards. Inside was her armor- under-suit and plates, neatly stowed and kept in perfect shape.

“Scott kept everything ready for when you woke up.” Harry’s expression as he looked at the armor set Sara on edge. Was Scott unreasonable in his hopes that she would wake? How many had written her off?”

“Thanks,” said Sara instead of voicing her thoughts. The time for questions was later when the Kett weren't attacking.

“Get back to the medbay, take as many civilians as you can and short the door, make it hard as hell for those bastards to get to you.”

Harry nodded, running from the room and back through the ship. As soon as the door closed behind him, Sara pulled on her under-suit and began the tedious task of snapping her armor into place.

Luckily her muscle memory returned despite her sleep, her fingers moving adeptly. Soon she was armored up but unfortunately weaponless.

That was when her eyes found the pistol set into the display of one wall, her father’s first service weapon. It was old and didn’t require thermal clips. Ammo would be unlimited as long as she paced her shots.

There were worse options.

Powering on the ancient weapon, Sara pointed it toward the floor and headed for the tramway. The tram itself was offline but the tunnels were abandoned, leaving Sara a clear path to the Nexus.

“Okay, SAM. Give me the details.”

“The Kett have not yet reached the Arks but the Nexus has been overrun. Nexus leaders have been evacuated, except for Nakmor Kesh who has refused to leave.”

Sara nodded, breaking out into a sprint as screams reached her ears, “Okay. Tell the Arks to disengage and abandon the Nexus. Is there anywhere safe they can rendezvous?”

“The Tempest is currently on a mission in the Remav system.”

Sara stopped, “Who’s on the Tempest?”

“Scott was made Pathfinder in your absence.”

She nodded even while her heart was breaking, “Get him a message. Tell him I’m going to try to evacuate everyone on the Nexus but that the plan is likely my dumbest to date so he should hurry and secure the Arks before charging in to rescue me.”

“Understood, Pathfinder.”


	2. Back to Back

“Scott?”

The A.I. had the worst timing ever. Waiting until Scott was in the middle of a biotic charge to speak for the first time in hours. Yes, it was only a single rogue fiend that threatened to kill him, but that didn’t make Scott’s split focus any more detrimental to the survival of his team. Especially considering this particular fiend was released from its cage only to learn it had been ripped from its sandy home to live in an abandoned H-047c mining facility. To say it was angry was an understatement.

Luckily, Mari was quick to get the monster’s attention with a sonic attack and a precise shotgun blast.

“Kinda busy, SAM,” he finally replied through clenched teeth as he evaded the fiend’s wild movements.

“If it were not important I would not have spoken,” replied SAM, sounding miffed.

Scott cursed as the monster’s fist missed him by only a few inches, “Then speak!”

“Sara is awake.”

Suddenly all thoughts of danger became nothing more than background noise as the words echoed in Scott’s ears. His sister was alive.

“SCOTT!!!” yelled Vetra.

He turned in time for the fiend’s fist to collide with his chest, if not for his biotic and kinetic barriers, he would have died from the impact alone. Instead, he was thrown against the rock wall.

The air was driven from his lungs as he bounced off the rock face to land in the dirt. It took him a moment to recover but when he looked up, he found the orange tinted fiend finally going down. It melted into black sludge that reflected the domed shelter above. Vetra and Mari passed each other a congratulatory smile before holstering their weapons and turning toward Scott.

He pushed himself to his feet with some effort; sure he had cracked a rib and possibly broken his ankle. Mari and Vetra rushed forward to help but he waved them off in order to address SAM directly.

“Just making sure I didn't imagine things, you said Sara’s awake?” he asked the A.I.

Vetra’s mandibles clicked at the question, hope visible in her eyes.

“Yes,” replied SAM through the team channel.

With the affirmation, all thoughts of cracked ribs and twisted ankles disappeared. Scott headed for the Nomad as quickly as his limp would allow, “Tell the Tempest to prepare for take off. I want to be on the Nexus as soon as possible.”

“That’s not possible,” said SAM, stopping Scott in his tracks, “The Nexus has been attacked. The Tempest has been trying to reach you but communications are unreliable on this side of the asteroid.”

“Attacked? By what?” asked Mari, her filter voice pitched with confusion.

“The Kett but unlike the ones we have encountered before. They were able to disable Nexus security by hacking through my firewalls. Luckily, I was able to disable my connection to the Nexus systems before my processes were affected. Sara gave an evacuation order, the Arks are currently headed to Remav.”

“So Sara’s on the Hyperion?” asked Vetra.

“No. She stayed behind to help with the evacuation of Nexus personnel to emergency shuttles.”

Scott cursed, “She just woke up and she’s already trying to get herself killed!”

“She did ask that you secure the Arks before coming to rescue her,” said SAM.

Scott growled as he pulled open the passenger side door of the Nomad with more force than necessary. “Tell her I’m considering that her last request because after I get her out of there, I’m going to kill her.”

 

“Scott has asked me to inform you that he is quote, ‘considering this your last request because after rescuing you he is going to kill you.’”

If it weren’t for the never-ending barrage of gunfire, Sara would have laughed. Instead, she found herself taking cover behind a low garden wall as the Kett fired precision shots that threatened to split her skull.

They were unlike any Kett she remembered, the natural bony armor printed with curious metallic threading that looked like circuitry. The color of the metal changed with the angle, turning from green to silver in the light. Yet it was their eyes that were the most unnerving. They glowed with neon green light, decisively destroying the last of their sentience and making them monsters.

Dismissing the chill down her spine, Sara peaked from behind her sanctuary long enough to lay down some more cover fire.

“Go! Go!” she yelled when the other Kett dove for shelter. The civilians hiding beside her, dashed for the docks, making their way to the waiting shuttles. The last of them disappeared behind the closed door in the same moment that the sound of breaking glass and stressed metal came from around the corner.

Emerging from the expanded housing area, Kesh was tossing Kett aside like rag dolls. The bodies went limp as their heads and spines snapped upon impact with whatever surface the Krogan could reach.

“Get- grah- the hell- gurr- off my- ugh- STATION!”

From behind her, perfectly placed shots took out whatever Kett refused to fall to Kesh’s fists. The familiar form of Tiran Kandros emerged from around the corner, his focus on his pistol sights as he mowed down the invaders.

Sara joined the fray, emerging from cover to finish off those Kett who remained hidden from Kandros’ aim and Kesh’s anger.

Once the enemies had been cleared, Sara jogged across the platform to meet up with the remaining Nexus leaders.

“Ryder!” crowed Kesh as her keen eyes fell on Sara, “When did you wake up?”

Sara smiled, “When the Kett invaded. I just needed a better alarm and I could have been back in action months ago.”

Kandros eyed Sara suspiciously, “That’s very caviler for someone who has been in a coma for a year. Hell, you shouldn’t even be able to stand after that, never-the-less fire a gun.”

Sara shrugged, “Just another wonderful perk of having an A.I. in my head. Recovery time is basically nonexistent.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” said Kesh.

Kandros agreed, “We need all the help we can get.”

Just then, a sharp popping sound echoed across the platform. Kandros’ hand flew to his neck where he plucked a small metal dart from his vein. Holding it in his open palm, his wide eyes fell on Sara before his mandibles went slack and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Sara quickly calculated the trajectory and found a Kett sniper preparing to fire again. She promptly threw down a barricade and pulled Kesh behind it. Kneeling beside Kandros’ body, she felt for a pulse and was relieved to find it thrumming against her fingers. He’d only been tranquilized. Picking up the strange dart, Sara tucked it into an ammo carrier for later.

Turning her attention to the sniper, Sara laser-focused on her target. 

Inhale, aim, fire.

The sniper’s head erupted in a spray of brain matter and it was like nothing had changed. She was still a soldier through and through.

Motioning to Kandros’ limp body, Sara asked Kesh to pick him up and carry him down the evacuation route.

“What about you?” asked Kesh.

Sara waved away the concern, “Don’t worry, the cavalry is on the way.”

As if on cue, Kett reinforcements arrived. Sara ducked back behind cover and muttered obscenities. “That wasn’t what I meant!”

“Ryder, you can’t take them all by yourself,” warned Kesh.

“You sound like Scott. Just stop worrying and go!” she yelled at Kesh, waving for her to head down to the docks, “I’ll keep them off you.”

Kesh smiled before tossing Kandros over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, “Nice to have you back, Ryder.”

 

As soon as the Nomad came within range of the Tempest, Kallo’s voice came over the channel.

“Ryder! Come in!”

Vetra passed Scott a knowing look from the driver’s seat as he said, “Go ahead, Kallo.”

“SAM told you what happened on the Nexus?”

“Among other things,” muttered Scott. “Have we heard from the Arks?”

“Yes, they should be arriving shortly. Meanwhile, any emergency shuttles from the Nexus are being diverted to Prodromos. The Nexus leaders are also there and have requested that the Pathfinders rendezvous at the outpost immediately.”

“Well, they’ll have to wait. As soon as the Arks are secure we are heading for the Nexus,” replied Scott.

“Wouldn’t it be better to coordinate with the other Pathfinders before attempting a counter-strike?” asked Kallo.

Scott felt disapproval pull at his lips, “Sara is awake and assisting with the Nexus evacuation. She’s waiting for us to extract her.”

Vetra smiled, her voice filled with awe, “Once a Pathfinder, always a Pathfinder.”

“Nope, that’s just Sara. Too stubborn to know her limits. Damn idiot.”

Mari touched his shoulder, “Do not worry, Pathfinder. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Scott sighed, “I hope so.”


	3. Illumination

Pinned down didn’t even begin to define her predicament. Screwed was a more apt description. As another energy blast singed the air above her head, Sara had to wonder how much longer she could hold out.

“SAM, would you please tell Scott to HURRY THE HELL UP!”

“The Tempest has just entered the Zheng He system,” replied SAM.

Kett soldiers were flanking her and there was no exit to be had. Damnit.

“ETA?”

“Unknown. Most docking bays have been locked down by the Kett.”

Things just kept getting better.

Rising from cover Sara aimed at a nearby enemy who tried to flank her. Its chest exploded in a satisfying spray of blood and tech.

Just then, an Ascendant Kett floated down from a dropship. Its shield was familiar but different. It still crackled and glowed with kinetic energy but the floating orb was absent. Instead, it seemed to emanate from the Ascendant’s outstretched hands, which were threaded with circuits of luminous green.

Sara rose from cover once more to fire a couple of experimental shots at the shield. It was utterly impenetrable, allowing the Ascendant to float carelessly through the plaza and into the bar known as Vortex.

The whoosh of the closing door was soon followed by an ear-splitting scream.

Without thought, Sara deployed her tech armor and made a run for the bar. Energy blasts bounced off her hard-light armor as she mowed down those Kett who stood between her and her objective.

She punched the holographic button and dove through the doorway just as her kinetic shield broke.

The Kett on the other side of the door were completely unaware of Sara’s intrusion. She pointed her pistol at every enemy in the room but they kept their rifles pointed at the floor. They were all preoccupied with the scene near the center of the room, a view that was directly from Sara’s darkest nightmares. 

The Ascendant floated above Anan with one arm outstretched, and its hand hovering over the Asari's head. She was on her knees, her wide eyes unblinking and her lips trembling. The Ascendant’s shield had disappeared but its right hand remained glowing, the light intensifying as the Ascendant lifted its arm. Anan's body followed the motion, moving like a puppet on a string.

Then, once Anan was hovering a few centimeters above the floor, the Ascendant closed its fist. Anan began to convulse violently, her eyes illuminating neon green and her skin melting into midnight-blue mud. Slowly, the Asari was reformed as an entirely different being. A Kett.

The Asari’s tentacle-like scalp had reformed into a boney crest and her vivid blue skin was now a grotesque olive-green. Most disturbing were the eyes, which had gone as black as the heart of sigularity.

The Ascendant lowered its arm and the creature that had been Anan came to stand on its feet. Immediately, it turned toward Sara and threw out its hand.

Sara knew the motion well, having seen her brother do it hundreds of times. She also knew that there was no dodging it, so she did the only thing she could. She aimed and fired.

She watched the monstrosity fall to the floor a second before the biotic lance hit Sara square in the chest. Her kinetic shield and tech armor shattered in a display of splintering hard light and crackling electromagnetics as she hit the door with enough force to leave a dent.

There wasn’t enough time to recover before she was lifted from the floor by an invisible force, pulling her into the air until she was face-to-face with the Ascendant.

“You are privileged. Today you will join the glory of the Kett Empire.”

Overwhelmed with images, Sara closed her eyes against the future. Every fiber of her being screamed for help and begged SAM to kill her before she was forced to fight her friends and family. 

Yet her heart continued to beat in her ears as her vision turned green.

 

Scott was standing on the bridge when the pain hit him like a bolt of lightning. Electricity seared his nerves from his fingertips to his toes.

Somewhere far off, he heard a scream that he knew too well. It ripped through his soul as the sound echoed in his ears.

That was when the world turned black, ending Scott’s physical agony, though the darkness was far from peaceful. He seemed to be free falling, the air rushing past him as he wondered if he was dying.

“HELP ME! DON’T LET THEM TAKE ME ALIVE!”

The desperate pleas reminded him just how alive he was, ripping the heart from his chest and the air from his lungs but that was nothing next to the reply.

An “I’m sorry, Sara,” spoken with the synthetic inflection of remorse.

 

White-hot electricity consumed Sara, burning through her body in an attempt to transform her into a monster. She closed her eyes against the reality, throwing herself into the darkness that could only provide a minor comfort.

Then, as if summoned by her prayers, tiny blue lights appeared from the shadows. They drifted closer, bouncing on non-existent air currents until they had surrounded her in their radiance. Her guardians had returned to warm her and drive away the transformative agony.

A shrill scream reached her ears and her eyes flew open to find the Ascendant at her feet. It held its head in both hands as its green fluorescents slowly turned blue. Once the glowing eyes changed color, the Ascendant stopped screaming. Its hands fell to its sides and it looked up at Sara with an awestruck expression.

“It’s beautiful,” the Ascendant whispered before all of its luminous circuitry went dark and it died.

Sara floated back down, her feet gently touching the floor.

Scanning the room, Sara found that the Ascendant was not alone. All the Kett in the bar had fallen to their knees and looked at Sara in astonishment. For a moment, Sara let them stare, until her eyes found the creature that had been Anan lying near the center of the room. At that point, her blood turned to ice.

She picked up her pistol and pointed it at the nearest chosen soldier. It didn’t flinch away or make any move to defend itself. It merely kneeled there as she pulled the trigger. Then she moved on to the next one.

“Sara?” asked SAM.

Another dead.

“Go ahead,” she murmured.

And Another.

“The Tempest has docked and the ground team is on their way.”

A final shot. A final death.

Sara nodded and holstered her pistol, turning her back on the scattered Kett corpses. Every set of once glowing eyes was burned into her retinas. Her hands shook but she fisted them at her sides. 

“Sara, your heart rate is elevated. Are you well?”

“I’m still connected to Meridian, aren’t I?”

The short silence that preceded SAM’s confirmation was telling.

“Then would you do me a favor?”

“If it is within my ability.”

Sara took a deep breath, “If the Kett ever capture me again, I want you to kill me.”

“That is not-“

“Yes or no, SAM?”

“As you wish, Pathfinder.”

Sara nodded at the same moment that Liam turned the corner, weapon at the ready.

When his eyes found her, he immediately pointed his shotgun at the floor. A familiar, infectious smile spread across his lips as he called over his shoulder.

“I’ve got her over here!”

She smiled back at him, unable to keep the mirth away at the sheer joy in Liam’s expression.

Vetra and Drack arrived at Liam’s side a moment later, both smiling like idiots as they set eyes on her. Unfortunately, the reunion was short-lived as the sounds of marching feet reached their ears.

Waving toward the docks with the muzzle of her rifle, Vetra went from happy to practical in a matter of seconds.

“We need to get back to the Tempest before we end up with another firefight on our hands.”

Sara didn’t have to be told twice. She was more than ready to go HOME.


	4. Home

“Go!” yelled Liam, stopping to wave everyone into the Tempest amid the sounds of energy weapons and crackling shields. Vetra hung back, providing cover fire as Drack pushed Sara forward.

Sara wasn’t even sure what had happened until the sound of spooling engines and hydraulics replaced the sounds of battle. It was then that she realized she was standing in the Tempest's cargo bay.

Her widened gaze found every difference. The crates that had become a favored lounging area were now gone and the workbench was no longer covered in strictly Angaran and Initiative tech. Remtech now stood alongside the scattered pieces in a strange contrast of aqua, orange and black against brushed steel.

What hadn’t changed was the smell. The robust aromas of coffee and engine grease surrounded Sara like a sweater, comforting and warm in their familiarity.

The experience filled Sara with a calm that only lasted until she realized everyone was staring at her.

Peebee and Gil looked down on her from the catwalk above, identical in the way they braced their hands against the rail as if they were about to pitch themselves to the floor below in their effort to be a part of the action. Jaal’s wrench was stilled mid-motion, frozen in shock. To Sara’s left, Liam leaned forward, his weapon hanging at his side and his free hand poised to steady her. In opposition, Drack bent backward, a firm grip on his shotgun and a confident look on his face. Close to the door, Vetra watched the scene as ifSara's position was precarious as if the slightest movement would send her spiraling into the void.

It was entirely possible that she would, considering the way the truth of the situation settled in the pit of her stomach. A year. She had lost a year of her life.

“Pathfinder, are you well?” asked SAM. There was trepidation in SAM’s voice that pushed past her cascading thought.

She shook away the unnerving feeling of displacement and spoke to SAM as if he had just told her a particularly entertaining joke, “I’m fine. Where’s Scott? No, no, let me guess. He overslept, right?”

Suddenly, every pair of eyes in the room diverted away from her.

“What?” she asked but she had a feeling she didn’t want to know.

Peebee was the only soul capable of speaking, though her voice was devoid of its usual bounce, “You’d better head to the Medbay. Lexi could explain far better than any of us.”

Before Sara could blink, her feet were carrying her toward the Medbay at a run. She hit the holographic button at the same moment her heart stopped.

On the other side of the door, her brother was trying to stand despite Lexi’s attempts to keep him seated.

“No! If she’s here I-“ his words fell off as their blue eyes met.

Again, Sara’s feet seemed to move of their own volition until she found herself enfolded in Scott’s arms. The parts of her mind that doubted her place in time quieted within the confines of her brother’s embrace. Wherever she was, as long as she had Scott, she was home.

“I missed you,” he whispered, the threat of tears in his words ignited a stinging sensation behind Sara’s eyes.

“I missed you too,” she replied as she gripped him tighter.

It could have been minutes or maybe hours before Sara finally pushed back to search her brother for injury, “Why are you in the Medbay?”

Scott averted his gaze, his partially-obscured face scrunching with confusion. Luckily for him, Lexi chose that moment to finally speak up, strategically reminding the twins of her presence, “He collapsed on the bridge. I’m still not sure what caused it.” 

“I may be able to assist in that regard,” said SAM, “I did note that Scott’s collapse occurred at the same moment that an Ascendant attacked Sara aboard the Nexus. Though I cannot be sure, I believe that these events may be connected.”

Scott gaped, scanning Sara for any sign of visible injury, “What do mean, attacked by an Ascendant?”

“An Ascendant Kett attacked Sara with a new piece of unidentified technology that allows the Kett to exalt organic beings without the use of injected serums,” said SAM.

“Oh my god,” gasped Lexi and Sara saw the light of the doctor’s omnitool reflect in Scott’s eyes. 

Silently, he asked the only question she didn’t know how to answer. Was she okay?

Lexi answered for her, “There appears to be no genetic modification but I see an increase in adrenal activity.”

Sara shrugged and tried to smile reassuringly, “I’ve been shot at non-stop since I woke up.”

Lexi sighed, “Nothing out of the ordinary then.”

“And I’m sure it’s not over,” Sara replied with a poor attempt at cheekiness, “With the Nexus under siege, I’m sure our work has just begun. Right, Pathfinder?”

As the word passed her lips, a thrill of fear ran through Sara’s heart but the fear proved unfounded as Scott frowned at the use of the title, “INTERIM Pathfinder. Now that you’re back, I’m just the Recon Specialist.”

Sara sighed, not sure if she was relieved or saddened by her brother’s readiness to give up the role she had worked so hard to be worthy of.

“Does that mean I get my room back?” she asked with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Scott laughed in reply but the sound was empty of genuine mirth, “Like I was going to clean that mess. No one has slept in there since you left.”

At that moment, everything became clear and Sara found herself staring at her brother in utter amazement.

“Everything is exactly how you left it,” he said to her gaping expression, though if he’d genuinely understood her surprise, the note of pride wouldn’t have seeped in his voice.

The look on Harry's face back on the Nexus, his eagarness to give up the role of Pathfinder, it painted a picture Sara could not believe. Greif. How many people had been utterly devestated by het decision on Meridian? How many people had she destroyed in her quest to fill her father's boots? His love and now hia confidence. How much more could Scott afford to lose? How much more could her brother take before he broke completely? Sara didn't want to find out the answer.


	5. Welcome Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, life's been hectic, but I'm back now!

Sara couldn’t bring herself to visit the room that had become her cenotaph, so she decided to tour the ship.

The bridge was a baby step. After all, it was the least likely to have changed due to the way Kallo clung to his memories.

Unfortunately, Sara was only mostly right.

While nothing was technically different Sara noticed the single change immediately. Suvi had moved positions, now sitting at the console directly behind Kallo. In her previous place sat a young Quarian, her red patterned hood glowing in the reflection of the orange console.

“Sara!” exclaimed Suvi in her musically soothing voice. The scientist only looked away from her data long enough to pass over a warm smile, “Scott said you’d be resting after everything that happened on the Nexus.”

Forcing her eyes away from the perceived invader, Sara gave Suvi a cheeky smile that failed to reflect in the tone of her voice, “Strange that he’d say that considering that he just couldn’t wait to hand over the Pathfinder title. There’s no rest for the Pathfinder.”

In her peripherals, Sara saw the Quarian flinch. Suvi’s lips pursed as she also noticed the movement. Sara raised her eyebrow in question but Suvi looked down to avoid answering. "So, who’s the new recruit?” asked Sara, forgoing subtlety in the face of Suvi's avoidance.

Kallo glanced at the Quarian who bowed her head and appeared to be heavily contemplating her fingers. Yet she eventually stood and bowed her head in Sara's direction as a show of respect. "My name is Mari’Reegar. I am the Quarian Pathfinder.”

Sara’s eyebrows rose, and she glanced from Suvi to Kallo and back, “Pathfinder? Then why are you on the Tempest?”

Mari wrung her hands nervously but kept her gaze on Sara, “The Nexus leaders thought it would be best if I trained under another Pathfinder for a while.”

“So you’ve been training with Scott?”

“Yes but-” there was a pause as Mari silently debated with herself, “Seeing as Scott is no longer Pathfinder, I would like to continue my training under your guidance.”

Sara regarded the Quarian carefully before replying, “That depends. May I ask you a question first?”

Mari was reluctant but ultimately nodded in assent.

“Tell me, honestly, do you think Scott should still be Pathfinder?”

Mari didn’t hesitate, “Yes.” A short pause followed before Mari seemed to realize the gravity of her admission. Her explaination hissed through her mask in a rush, "Not that I doubt your ability to be Pathfinder. I’ve heard nothing but good things from the crew. It’s just that I trust Scott. He’s been more than a mentor; he’s been a friend.”

A wide grin split across Sara’s face, giving thr Quarian pause.

“Good answer. I’d be glad to have you aboard, Mari’Reegar.”

Mari tilted her head in confusion but ultimately nodded, “Thank you, Pathfinder.”

“Call me Sara.”

Mari smiled, “Okay, Sara.”

 

Sara’s next stop had been the tech lab. As soon as the doors opened, Sara wished she had started there rather than the bridge.

It was precisely as she remembered it, complete with Jaal bowed over a piece of tech as if it would reveal the secrets of the universe if only he dug deep enough.

At the sound of the door, Jaal had looked up to smile at her but didn’t say a word. Instead, he motioned toward the far side of the workbench. Reflecting his smile back at him, Sara bounced across the room and cleared her usual spot of debris. She hopped up onto the table and sat cross-legged. Just as she had a hundred times before. With a nod of satisfaction, Jaal returned to his work.

It was amazing thay with one gesture, Sara could feel entirely at home. In fact, it felt like she had never left.

Leave it to Jaal to know exactly how to put her at ease. At times the hulking Angaran was more akin to a teddy bear than an expert sniper.

It brought an old saying to mind. Home is where the heart is.

Was her heart still on the Tempest, or was it waiting for her in Kedara? Would this feeling of displacement ever go away? Or had too much changed?

“Pathfinder, we have arrived at Podromos,” said Kallo over the intercom, pulling Sara from her comforting bubble where her thoughts were free to roam.

Glancing at her omnitool, she realized she had been sitting in the tech lab for hours. Time really could disappear sometimes.

“Roger that,” she finally said, her voice betraying her reluctance to leave.

“Do not worry. Soon it will all be familiar again," said Jaal, his baritone soothing.

Smiling once more, Sara leaped from the bench and threw her arms around him. In true Angaran fashion, he was unsurprised by her sudden affection and easily caught her in a friendly embrace.

“Thanks, Jaal.”

“You are most welcome, Sara.”

Pulling away, Sara made her way toward the door, using her omnitool to open up a team channel, “Scott and Mari, meet me in the cargo bay in twenty. SAM, let the Nexus leaders know we’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, Pathfinder.”

 

Walking down the ramp, Sara was shocked to find that Podromos had reached metropolitan levels in the year she had been gone. In place of the prefab buildings and sand were paved roads, sapling trees, and tall housing structures. Everything about the settlement that had once screamed frontier now whispered progress.

Sara would have been lying if she said that it didn’t feel her with a sense of satisfaction upon seeing how far the settlement had come in s year.

“Pathfinders!” greeted Bradley from the bottom of the ramp. Though he had addressed them as a unit, he beamed at Sara directly.

“Hey, Mr. Mayor,” she replied, her smile genuine as she grasped Bradley’s outstretched hand.

“That’s Ambassador now,” he replied, his eyes flicking toward Scott, “The Nexus saw fit to promote me during your absence. Now I keep the outposts united and keep our allies happy. It’s a full-time job, to say the least.”

Sara and Bradley began walking side-by-side, Scott and Mari trailing behind but still included in the conversation.

“That sounds like the best job in the cluster,” said Sara sarcastically, “Second only to Karkan wrangler.”

Bradley chuckled, “Yeah, but someone has to do it.”

The sound of the older man’s rumbling mirth widened Sara’s smile, “Better you than me. I can barely tie my boots without pissing someone off.”

“Believe me; I’ve pissed off plenty. Apparently, New Tuchunka wasn’t happy with my appointment. They even refused to show up here in spite of everything that’s happened. Though, now that you’re here, maybe they’ll change their minds. Goodness knows we need to work together now more than ever.

“After Meridian, we’d thought the Kett had turned tail, but these attacks proved otherwise. Luckily your decision to make this a military outpost meant that when the Kett came after us, they weren’t able to do much more than disrupt our supply chains for a few hours.”

“They hit more than just the Nexus?” asked Mari, her concern obvious.

“Yeah, Voeld got walloped. Serissa evacuated the few that didn’t escape with the ice runners, but we ultimately lost the outpost. The Angara almost lost Techiix too. There were… a lot of casualties.”

“Damn Kett,” breath Sara, the darkness in her voice telegraphing the memories she would have preferred to keep buried.

“You can say that again,” replied Bradley just as they arrived at a nondescript prefab near the center of the settlement, a layover from the days when it was still just a backcountry outpost.

The door slid open to reveal the Nexus leaders and the other Pathfinders standing around a table. Serissa and Hayjer were frowning deeply while the now awakened Rix had his mandibles clenched in anger. Meanwhile, Tann was waving wildly, obviously defensive.

“-can’t forsake the Nexus. It’s a symbol for the Initiative. Without it, we are lost.”

Sara stifled a sigh at Tann’s lame argument. Luckily, Serissa was there to talk sense. “We need to protect the outposts and we can’t do that if we commit what little resources we have to a fruitless crusade.”

A familiar rolling accent caught Sara off guard. The owner was obscured from view by the door frame, but Sara would know that voice anywhere. “She’s right. Keema won’t commit her people to an operation like that.”

“We don’t need help from the exiles. The Nexus is perfectly capable of handling things on its own,” said Tann, regarding the smuggler with a glare that could have melted Voeld.

Unaffected by the Salarian’s ire, Reyes continued to lean casually against the wall. His easy smile telegraphed a lack of concern but Sara could see the way his eyes turned molten in frustration, “What could you hope to gain? Everyone on the Nexus was taken out of cryo months ago, only the Arks still had people in stasis and they are safely hidden in the Remav system. On the other hand, the Outposts provide valuable resources that could be useful in a fight against the Kett. You don’t have to be a tactical genius to see where the priority should be.” Reyes’ amber eyes flicked in Sara’s direction, softening with relief as he said, “The Collective came to offer help but if you’d rather we keep to ourselves, we will.”

Bradley finally spoke up; his voice filled with authority, “The exiles may not be associated with the Initiative anymore but this is a cluster-wide problem. They deserve a chance to be heard.”

“If Kadara wanted to be heard, Keema should have come herself instead of sending this untrustworthy criminal,” sneered Tann.

Reyes’ smiled, “I’m perfectly trustworthy, as long as I’m getting paid.”

Tann’s eyes narrowed and Sara knew that was the moment to step forward.

“Reyes Vidal’s questionable loyalties aren’t what’s important here. These aren’t the same Kett we’ve fought in the past. So before we decide anything, we need to know what we’re up against.”

“Exactly,” agreed Reyes with a wolfy grin.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Tann nodded in Sara’s direction, “Pathfinder Ryder, how good of you to join us. I’m sure everyone here is happy to see you in this dire hour.”

Sara stifled the need to roll her eyes, “I wouldn’t call the situation ‘dire’ Director. All we need is a foothold.”

“I’m with Ryder,” replied Kandros, his demeanor visibly lightening as he took in Sara’s presence, “we need intel. The problem is, we don’t know where to begin. So far the Kett has limited their attacks to areas with a large Milky Way presence but there is no discernible pattern to their movements. We can’t pinpoint where they’re coming from.”

“I’m betting they’re on Elaaden,” said Reyes, the mischief in his eyes dying instantly, “They were sighted there two weeks ago and that is the only outpost that hasn’t been attacked.”

“How do you know that?” asked Hayjer and it was evident from his wide eyes that he was afraid of just how much the smuggler might know. Reyes shrugged, “Word gets around.”

“I’d love to call bullshit,” replied Rix, unimpressed by the smuggler’s bravado, “but you have a point. If the Kett haven’t attacked Elaaden, I’d like to know why. We should send a team to investigate.”

Sara nodded, “I’ll go.”

At that, Reyes could no longer hide behind his mask of nonchalance. His eyebrows nearly hit his hairline in his concern, though he was an expert of diverting suspicion. “Forgive me, Pathfinder, but you just woke up from a coma. I doubt you’re ready for a mission like this so soon.”

An argument had formed on the tip of Sara’s tongue when Tann spoke up instead, “On the contrary, Pathfinder Ryder and her team have spent more time fighting the Kett than anyone present, making her uniquely suited to track Kett movements.”

“Besides, despite her recent medical issues, Pathfinder Ryder’s actions during the attack on the Nexus has shown her to be perfectly capable,” agreed Kesh.

Tann nodded, “Yes, I think Pathfinder Ryder and her team are the best choice for this mission. Meanwhile, the other Pathfinders can secure our remaining outposts against future attacks.”

“Sounds good,” agreed Bradley.

“Well, since there’s no point in arguing,” said Kandros with a defeated sigh and a swipe on his omnitool, “Here’s everything we have on Elaaden. To say the political situation there is tenuous is an understatement.”

“Thanks,” Sara replied, raising a questioning eyebrow at the Turian Militia Leader’s tone but he ignored her, turning to look at Tann expectantly.

“Good, then this meeting is adjourned,” said Tann but it wasn’t until Bradley turned away that everyone began to disperse. Sara waited until Reyes moved toward the door before following the crowd outside. Reyes soon passed her, subtly leading her toward a secluded part of the outpost. Before following, Sara turned toward Scott and Mari.

“I’ll meet you guys back on the Tempest.”

Scott scowled but didn’t stop her as she jogged to catch up with the smuggler.

Sara found him, leaning against the back of a prefab and looking up toward the cliffs that cast him in shadows. Despite the nonchalance of his posture, his expression remained blank.

For a long moment, they just stood there, motionless in their search for a starting point. It was only when Reyes looked at her, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe before settling on her eyes, that the year-long gap between them was irrelevent.

A magnetic force closed the distance between them and they found themselves entangled. Her arms encircled his neck and his hands gripped her hips. When they kissed, it was with an untamable need to make up for every second of her absence. Before she knew it, Sara found her back pressed against the side of the building and her legs around his hips. He held her aloft, his desire insatiable.

Yet, all too soon, he broke the kiss and he let his forehead come to rest on her shoulder as he tried to regain control.

“Reyes?” Sara whispered.

He carefully set her back on her feet, “A lot has happened since you’ve been gone.”

Sara sighed, “So I keep finding out.”

At that, the walls began to rise around him, cutting him off from her. So, with a deep breath, she said, “Look, I understand if you don’t want to pick up where we left off. I know it’s been a while.”

He scoffed and her head shot up to find him smirking at the ground, “You’re all I’ve thought about since Meridian. Its been unbelievably distracting." Though there was a note of laughter to his voice, when he looked up the months of sadness were painted across his features, “I wanted nothing more than for you to wake up. Now, here you are and the cluster is going to hell.”

Suddenly the future sat between them like a glass wall. The right words could shatter it while the wrong ones could turn it to stone. Luckily, Reyes always knew exactly what to say to keep the status quo. "Let me come with you to Elaaden.”

“What?”

He closed the distance between them, his hand cupping her cheek as he looked at her with a blatant plea, “I just got you back, Sara. I’m not ready to let you out of my sight just yet.”

At that moment she was putty in his hands. He could have asked her for anything and she would have said, “Okay.”

“Good, then I’ll grab my stuff from my shuttle,” dropping his hand and turning away, Reyes only glanced back to pass her wink, “Don’t leave without me.”

Watching him walk away, Sara frowned.

Reyes had winked at her.

Damnit, he was up to something, that shady bastard, and she'd played right into his hands.


	6. Ghosts

Sara stopped at the bottom of the Tempest’s ramp when she noticed Scott waiting for her. He watched her with laser-focus but it was the guilt in the tilt of his lips that forced her to keep climbing the sharp incline.

When she got within a few feet of him, he finally blinked, crossing his arms and banishing his guilt.

“So, what did Reyes want?” The way Scott said the smuggler’s name made it sound like a curse.

“He wanted to come to Elaaden with us.”

Scott scowled, “Did you tell him no?”

“Why would I?” Sara asked with a frown, “The Charlatan is an ally.”

Scott looked down in an attempt to conceal the rage that darkened his expression. “Right.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Scott met her eyes once more but they were suspiciously empty of emotion, “Reyes and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye. That’s all.” Before Sara could ask for clarification, Scott suddenly uncrossed his arms and executed a perfect about-face.

Sara didn’t see as much as felt Reyes ascend the ramp behind her, her focus remaining on Scott as he disappeared further into the ship.

When Reyes stopped beside her, Sara addressed him without looking away from the sliding doors that had separated her from her brother. “What happened between you and Scott while I was gone?”

Reyes heaved a sigh, “I used him to get what I wanted and he hasn’t trusted me ever since.”

“And what did you want?” she asked, glancing at him in her peripheral vision. He held the straps of the olive drab duffle by three fingers, the bag resting against his shoulder blade. He was perfectly casual in appearance but she noticed the way the shadows descended over his carefully nonchalant expression.

“The same thing I always want.”

She finally pulled herself away in order to look at him, “Was it worth it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay." Without further question or explanation, Sara started on the same path Scott had walked moments ago. She didn’t need to know the details of what had happened because she could see the guilt just below the surface of Reyes' expression. He hated himself for what he’d done but he couldn’t say the price had been too high. 

No price was too high for peace. Not for Reyes Vidal.

That shouldn't hurt, but it did.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” asked Gil, emerging from his engine room haven to find Sara dragging a crate toward the freight elevator.

Sara didn’t slow down, grunting with the effort it took to move the particularly heavy piece of cargo. When she’d reached the limit of her latest bout of energy, she let out a long breath of exhaustion and straightened to address the engineer.

“Moving some of these crates down to the lower level.”

“Okay, why though?”

Shrugging, Sara took a deep breath and began pushing the crate once more, “I- ugh- need- guh- somewhere to- ugh- read.”

“And what’s wrong with your quarters?”

She had every intention of ignoring Gil’s question but the stubborn man stepped into her path and crossed his arms. His raised eyebrow knew exactly why she didn’t want to answer but questioned anyways.

With a long sigh, she deflated under his scrutiny. “Damnit.”

Unable to help himself, he gave her a satisfied smile and waited.

“Before I- uh- left, there was a stack of crates we used to lounge around on,” she said finally.

“Aaaahhh, I see,” said Gil, true understanding in the way he exaggerated the vowels in his words, “Looking for a little familiarity, eh? Would’ve thought Vidal had that covered but then again, he’s bunking with Jaal in the tech lab.”

Sara eyed him sideways, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Gil raised his hands in surrender, “Fair enough. How about I help, then? All you’re bloody racket is making it damn near impossible to optimize engine output levels anyways.”

Sara chuckled as they both bent to lift up the crate.

“What’s in this thing?” Gile exclaimed past the strain.

Sara's shrug nearly made her lose her grip but together they managed to get the crate to the elevator where they were rewarded with a break on the short trip downward. They both grimaced as they picked it up again but once the crate was in place, Gil rested a hand against the bulkhead and proceeded to over-exaggerate the amount of energy he had just expended.

“That was a pain in the ass but, for what it's worth, I really appreciate it."

Straightening, Gil shrugged, “Consider yourself lucky. I don’t do manual labor for just anyone.”

Sara flashed him a knowing smile, “So, I’m special, huh?”

Gil chuckled, “You know it. No one cheats at poker like you do.”

Sara’s smiled gratefully. Gil smiled back, not really accepting her gratitude but reminding Sara that he was there. All she had to do was ask. 

“Pathfinder, we just entered Elaaden’s atmosphere,” said Kallo through the intercom.

“Guess we’ll have to finish this later, eh?” asked Gil, motioning toward the crate

Sara sighed, “Guess so. Don’t let Vetra move it, okay?”

Gil saluted sarcastically, “I'll weld it to the floor if I have to.”

 

As soon as they set foot in the Elaaden sand, Sara immediately noticed how different the outpost here was compared to Padromos. This outpost was empty, progress standing still as if it were a life-sized diorama.

"What happened here?" she asked quietly.

"The outpost here didn't have the protection the Ditaeon did," said Reyes softly, "After so many scavenger raids even the Krogan got tired of fighting."

Drack scoffed, "Krogan never tire of fighting. The colonists ran scared. Nothing more to it."

Reyes shrugged in response, unwilling to expend energy on an argument that would inevitably prove nothing. The point was the same, the Nexus outpost on New Tuchanka was a ghost town. 

They walked the short distance from the landing pad to the Krogan settlement only to find the main gate locked and absent of guards. A single holographic sign on the gate read: GO AWAY.

“What the hell?” asked Sara, glancing at Drack who stood to her right.

Drack only gave her a puzzled expression, “What the hell is right.”

Sara leaned forward pounding on the door. She wasn’t sure what she was hoping for but she wasn’t surprised when no one answered.

To Sara’s left, Reyes pulled up his omnitool, “My contacts here say the Krogan started acting strange about three days ago, locking the doors to the settlement and refusing to speak to anyone.”

Sara scanned the high wall, “Well that’s definitely suspicious. We need to get in there and find out what’s going on.”

Reyes raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, but how?”

Sara’s smirk promised danger before she glanced at Drack. 

The Krogan laughed, “As crazy as ever, kid.”

“What do you mean?” asked Reyes, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Sara didn’t answer, striding backward. As if given an invisible cue, Drack crouched and laced his massive fingers with the palms upward.

“Wait, what are you-” began Reyes but he was cut off by Sara’s sudden forward motion. She sprinted then leaped, landing directly in the center of Drack’s entwined hands. The Krogan lifted her upward at the same moment she fired her booster pack, adding enough momentum to catapult her over the walls of the settlement.

She landed heavily on the other side, rolling to a stop at the feet of a particularly unhappy Nakmor Morda.

“Hello, Pathfinder,” the Krogan said gruffly.

Pushing herself to her feet, Sara made a show of brushing the dust from her armor before offering Morda a cheeky smile.

“I knocked, no one answered,” she offered with a shrug.

“You aren’t welcome here,” replied Morda, folding her arms over her chest.

“Untrue, the Pathfinder was invited,” said a distinctly synthetic voice. To Sara’s shock, a Geth emerged to point its flashlight-like head in her direction.

Before Sara could voice the questions that sped through her mind, Reyes landed beside her. He was far more graceful than she had been, easily landing on his feet and allowing his knees to cushion the impact.

The Geth nodded at the smuggler, the plates on its head shifting to take on the expression of someone impressed by another’s actions.

“You work efficiently Smuggler Vidal. We had not expected the Tempest’s arrival so soon. Though I wonder where the Creator-Pathfinder is.”

Reyes smiled, “She’ll be here shortly.”

The Geth nodded and brought up its omnitool. A moment later Reyes’ chimed and he raised it, satisfaction sparkling in his eyes as he took in the numbers on the screen.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Epsilon.”

“Likewise, Smuggler Vidal.”


	7. Allegiance

“What the hell is going on?” Sara snapped, bringing Reyes’ attention to her glare. He smiled easily and genuinely. It wasn’t much but it was enough.

Shade and mystery, thy name is Reyes.

“The Charlatan told me not to trust you,” she sneered.

Reyes' wolfish grin was all charm and unapology, "The Charlatan wanted you here just as much as Epsilon did.”

“Fine, why am I here?” she asked, crossing her arms and scowling.

Morda was the one to answer, the way she paced as she spoke bringing a weight to her words that settled on everyone like lead. “After Meridian, everything seemed fine but Tann quickly used it to his advantage. He turned you into a martyr, evoked your name in his ridiculous crusade to stay in power. The only thing keeping him from being a complete dictator was Bradley and Kesh.”

Morda stopped, eyeing Reyes suspiciously, " You were supposed to bring Scott."

Reyes raised his hands in surrender, "Epsilon told me to bring 'the human Pathfinder'. I did. Besides, Sara is far more agreeable than her brother."

Morda seemed unconvinced but Reyes ignored her, turning to Sara with a frown, “The Initiative leadership structure was supposed to be temporary. After the outposts began to flourish there were supposed to be elections but there was always another excuse to delay. If it weren’t for Keema and the Charlatan Ditaeon would have collapsed just like the outpost here did.”

Morda nodded, “Tann wanted this outpost to die. He never wanted an alliance with the Krogan. Then there was the mess with the Keelah Si’yah. When you add it all up, Tann can't be trusted. If we want to survive, we have to have to get rid of him.”

As if on cue, the gate opened and Mari stepped through with Drack in tow.

Drack eyed the congregation suspiciously but when his eyes fell on Sara they turned soft. “You alright, kid?”

Sara nodded before turning her focus on the Quarian Pathfinder, “What happened on the Keelah Si’yah?”

Mari sighed heavily, the weight of the world on her tiny shoulders, “It’s a long story but essentially, the Geth infiltrated the Ark while it was still in the Milky Way. When we awoke we found them the Pathfinder tried to kill them. The Geth defended themselves, killing all but one of the Pathfinder team. The survivor, the Pathfinder’s son, tried to make peace with the Geth but in trying to do so turned a dangerous virus over to the Collective.”

She wrung her hands, “I was the only survivor.”

Sara glanced at Reyes but he betrayed nothing as he continued the story, “A rogue member used the virus to kill the entire crew of the Ark. Tann blamed the Geth and basically exiled them.”

“Which brings us to now,” continued Morda, “Tann wanted to pretend the Kett just disappeared but we all knew better. There were too many precision attacks to just be scavengers and pirates. It was only a matter of time before the Kett came back.”

Mari nodded enthusiastically, “We had people to protect and we were never going to be able to do that as splintered as we were. Exiles on Kedara, Krogan here, Geth on H-099, and Bradley’s plans to keep the outposts independent- if it came to war we were going to be crushed.”

“So the Charlatan proposed an alliance,” said Reyes motioning to those present and smirking, “This is it. The Keelah Si’yah, The Collective, and the Krogan. It has been a very lucrative enterprise for us smugglers.”

“That still leaves my question unanswered,” said Sara, beginning to understand but needing that final piece to complete the puzzle, “Why did you need me here?”

“We knew the Kett would be back but we never expected these new tech-covered abominations,” spat Mari.

Finally, the Geth spoke up, piggybacking off of Mari’s words, “The human Pathfinder is known for fighting against the Kett and her willingness to put aside bias for the sake of the Cluster. We are proposing that you ally with us so that the cluster might be united.”

“What about the Nexus?”

Morda batted at Sara’s concerns as if at a bug, “The Nexus is already lost and all the leaders do is bicker. We need REAL leaders in this fight.”

“So you want me to, what? Abandon the Nexus?”

“Yes. If you leave, the outposts will follow,” said Morda.

In that moment all eyes fell on Sara, anticipation permeating the air.

With a deep breath, she nodded, “You’re right. The only way we’ll win this is to fight together and that won't happen with Tann in power.”

Morda grinned, “Good decision, Pathfinder.”

“BUT,” Sara continued passed the praise, “If you truly want to unite the cluster, you have to set the example. Be better.”

Sara eyed Reyes, Morda, and Mari respectively, “Which means no more hiding in the shadows, no more isolationism, and no more secrets.”

Only Sara noticed the way Reyes’ eyes widened slightly, “Kedara won’t like that. Some of us enjoy our shadows.”

Sara crossed her arms, “I’ll talk to the Charlatan personally. I bet I can convince him.”

Reyes scoffed but his voice dropped an octave, causing Sara to suppress a shiver, “You can try.”

“I’m onboard,” said Morda, oblivious to the undertones of the conversation.

“Me too, Pathfinder,” said Mari, glancing toward Reyes, “Though I’m not sure Scott will like this.”

Sara sighed, knowing exactly what Mari was referring to, “He won’t. I know that for a fact.”

At least Reyes had the awareness to look contrite. Again it wasn't much but it was enough. It would have to be if this alliance was going to work.

“Well, right now we have bigger problems,” said Drack. It was only when he spoke that Sara realized the old Krogan had been standing near the gate, looking out over the endless desert. Sara jogged to his side and immediately noticed the dropships on the horizon.

Sara turned on the congregation with a fierce expression, “The fight starts now. Get ready.”

Morda pulled up her omnitool, speaking through her coms and into a colony-wide intercom.

“The Kett are on our doorstep. Secure the back gate and make sure snipers are posted at the perimeter.”

Sara found a spot behind a kiosk with a direct line through the gateway. Reyes and Mari fell in near her, taking up positions to her left and right. Other Krogan came out of the caverns to surround the plaza. There were only a few places where the Kett could drop and when they did it was going to be a massacre.

Or so Sara thought until the first dropship began hovering overhead. Its wings opened but instead of soldiers, it dropped a large metallic ball. Glowing circuitry twisted across the glistening surface. The hum it gave off filled Sara with dread, invading her mind like a swarm of wasps.

“DROP!” Sara yelled but it was a heartbeat too late. Those closest to her were able to fall to their bellies but those on the far side of the plaza were caught in the explosion of green light. They froze, their eyes beginning to glow as they became entranced by the object. Then, suddenly, they began to yell in agony. Dozens of Krogan began melting, turning into olive green balls of mud before reforming into the Behemoths Sara remembered all too well.

Brother turned against brother as the Behemoths turned their weapons on any who had escaped the green light. Sara stared in horror as the Krogan fought their own out of a need to survive. Every set of eyes told the same story. This was not a battle they wished to fight. There was no glory in killing a brainwashed friend.

A high-pitched whirring rose above the sounds of gunfire to assault Sara’s ears. It took a moment but she finally placed the sound. It was coming from the metallic sphere. It was spooling up for a second attack.

“Pathfinder,” said SAM, speaking for the first time planetside, “If you scan the device, I may be able to disable it.”

She did as SAM requested, deploying her tech armor and racing for the bomb. A Behemoth jumped into her path but a well-placed sniper shot drew its attention. A quick glance backward told her exactly who had incurred the monster’s wrath.

Sara didn’t have time to thank Reyes, bringing up her omnitool in a desperate attempt to stop the device from doing any more damage.

“Shit!” she said as the readings flashed across her vision. The tech read as almost Remnant in design but without the sophistication. This tech was advanced but wasn’t meant for building golden worlds. This tech was meant for war.

“Pathfinder-” SAM began but Sara didn’t need him to tell her what to do. She held out a hand, using the fusion of mind and tech to speak to the machine.

At first, it resisted, sending a wave of electrical pain through her nervous system. Sara didn’t know that the deafening scream that echoed in her ears had come from her own throat. Her focus was on the symbols and light that danced in the darkness behind her eyes.

Control. God-Complex. Ends. Tarnan. Tarnan. Tarnan- The Fractured.

An explosion of blue light and Sara became suspended in the peace of the void. The darkness where her guardians surrounded her. Where it didn’t hurt anymore.

“Sara,” whispered SAM from the darkness beyond her haven, “You're still needed.”

And just like that she was ripped from serenity and thrown back into chaos.

She was lying on her back, the world around her a myriad of pain and gunfire. She smelled blood and smoke.

Then his face was above hers. Amber eyes, wide with unconcealed concern. He touched her face as if confirming that she was corporeal. It was simple but warm and brought back memories of Kedara sunsets and whiskey.

Reyes glanced up, rising to his knees and bringing his assault rifle to his shoulder. With controlled bursts, he fired in four different directions and drove back those unseen enemies. A guardian draped in shadow.

It was then that Sara found her limbs. She pushed herself up though she felt extremely weak. Reyes noticed her movements in his peripherals and dropped the barrel of his rifle so that he could help pull her to her feet.

“Can you run?” he asked, glancing toward the gate.

She nodded as her muscles slowly fell under her control once more, “I can do more than that.”

He scanned her from head to toe. His eyes lingered on her face but he ultimately nodded in reluctant satisfaction and pulled her into cover behind a stack of crates.

An energy blast whistled just above Sara's head and it didn’t take her long to calculate the origin and rise, letting instinct take over. Those instincts that had become the piece of her father she would always carry with her.

Aim. Fire.

The projectile hit the behemoth directly in the eye and it staggered, its rage boiling to the surface but it was the opportunity she needed. A second shot into the monster’s knee sent it to the ground and a third shot in the opposite knee kept it there, bleeding out across the sandstone. Beside her, Reyes was firing at another Behemoth, dropping it after discharging almost an entire thermal-clip worth of projectiles.

“Retreat!” yelled Morda from somewhere in the distance and Sara felt herself shudder.

The Krogan were retreating.

Sara pulled up her link to the Tempest, “Tempest, I need an extraction. Me and as many Krogan as we can carry.”

“What’s going on?” asked Kallo.

Sara closed her eyes against the sounds of Krogan uselessly pleading with their comrades to fight the darkness that had consumed them. Against the sounds of pain when those same Krogan became the victims of their own sentimentality.

“We’re losing.”


	8. Guardian or Ghost

Reyes turned his analytical expression on her, “We can’t save them all, Sara.”

The softness of his tone belied the harsh reality of his words. He was right but she didn’t want him to be.

Then she heard her own pleas echo in her memory. No one would choose to be a Kett, it was a fate worse than death. Even death by nuclear fire had to be better than living as a slave.

“Sara,” said SAM on their private channel though there was a note of hesitation in his voice, “the Drive Core powering New Tuchanka is highly volatile.”

It was a simple statement but one that sparked the most devastating of ideas. 

She turned to Drack with the weight of her decision shining in her eyes, “Where’s the Remnant Drive Core?”

Drack knew where she was going and though he grimaced he gave her a curt nod, “In the lower level. Follow me.”

Sara nodded, turning toward Mari and Reyes, “Get to the Tempest.”

Reyes shook his head, her authority unrecognizable under the influence of memory, “No. I’m coming with you.”

The barrel of Mari’s rifle waved away the argument on the edge of Sara’s tongue, “Epsilon and I have it covered.”

There wasn’t time to form a counter statement so Sara was left to accept his decision.

Shotgun blasts cleared the way toward the stairs that would take them toward the lower levels of New Tuchanka. Reyes and Sara mowed down whatever opposition refused to fall to Drack’s charge and followed the old Krogan into the darkness.

It was quieter in the lower levels, the sounds of the fight muffled by the stone walls and hum of electricity.

All too soon, Sara found herself standing before the Remnant Drive Core that had been the cost of Krogan cooperation.

Reaching out, Sara found the panel that worked as the core’s interface.

“Manipulating output potential,” said SAM.

Seconds passed slowly, ticking by with every beat of her aching heart.

“The core will detonate in fifteen minutes.”

Sara didn’t need to be told twice. She snatched her hand away from the interface and ran for the exit. Reyes and Drack were right on her heels.

Emerging near the back gate, Sara found herself consumed by the chaos once more as the Tempest landed just outside the walls. It’s glistening panels winked in the Elaaden sun, beckoning the hopeful toward safety.

Sara joined the crowd in sprinting out the back gate but the heavy pounding of Krogan feet against sandstone drowned out all other sounds. It was a stampede, a frantic escape from death that threatened to consume her. Krogan fell as Kett dropped around them, trying to cut off their retreat with gunfire and fear, but they all kept running. Self-preservation instincts and adrenaline overrode the active thoughts of even the most sensible among them. All that mattered was survival.

When Sara's feet hit the ramp, a wave of warmth overcame her. Krogan funneled around her, spilling into the cargo bay like tuna into a net.

That is when Sara’s eyes spotted another spherical device, the green light flash-freezing the running Krogan. Dozens had fallen under the spell, far more than had devastated the fighters in the courtyard.

They were out of time.

Sara closed her eyes and touched her com, “Lift off Kallo.”

“But-” argued Mari through the com, her filtered voice pitched with disbelief.

“We can either save some of them or none of them,” said Reyes from her right, providing the justification Sara couldn’t bring herself to voice.

The thrusters boomed as the Tempest began to rise. Krogan tumbled from the end of the ramp, landing in puffs of dust. Those still on the ground cursed her name just before they were overrun by Behemoths and Chosen.

The ramp pulled the survivors into the belly of the Tempest, the door closing the same moment an explosion rocked the ship.

“Sara!”

Turning to the relieved sound of her name, Sara found dozens of defeated eyes staring at her. From among them emerged her brother, looking as exhausted as she felt. He put his hands on her shoulders, searching her face with wide eyes.

“Are you alright?”

Sara shook her head as the sounds of the lost echoed in her ears and brought the threat of tears to her throat.

“Pathfinder, we need a heading,” said Kallo over the intercom

Reyes stepped forward, his shoulders slumped but his face a perfect mask of unbreakable calm, “Head for Kedara. The Krogan can stay there until we come up with a different plan.”

He looked to Sara as if asking permission but not truly doing so. Still, she nodded her endorsement and silently thanked him for his willingness to help. He bowed his head slightly in formal acceptance of her gratitude.

“Come on,” said Scott, his voice gruff as he pulled her into the crowd. The mass of Krogan parted, allowing them to pass but as she did their whispers reached her ears. Each one was like a needle in her heart, not because they were spoken in hate but because each one was an echo of her own manic thoughts.

“What do we do now?”

“How do we fight?”

“How do we survive?”

“She a hero.”

“She’s a murderer.”

When the sliding doors separated Sara from the crowd, she realized Reyes, Mari, and Drack had followed her from the cargo bay. They all looked at her and she saw those same cascading thoughts in their eyes. Only Reyes remained emotionless, having separated himself from the situation with a thick wall not even Sara could penetrate.

Sara looked at her feet, slowly crumbling under the weight of her guilt.

Then a large hand clapped her on the shoulder. She looked up, meeting Drack’s fatherly gaze.

“I know it wasn’t easy, but you did the right thing, kid.”

She knew that he was right but that didn’t free her from the gravity of her decision. A hundred Krogan souls weighed on her conscience and there they would remain until the day the Kett become nothing more than a distant memory.

Sara didn’t know how but she found herself in the tech lab, sitting at the edge of the workbench with her feet dangling and the corner of the table cutting in her palms. Somewhere along the line she had shed her armor plating and left it haphazardly piled beside Jaal’s bed, leaving her in her undersuit and bare feet.

The Angaran stood like a silent sentinel, leaning against the same bench with his arms and ankles crossed, watching her in his peripherals as she stared into nothingness.

Her thoughts were consumed with replaying every moment of the battle on New Tuchanka and those few moments she had been connected to the Behemoth-creating bomb.

Control. God-Complex. Ends. Tarnan. Tarnan. Tarnan- The Fractured.

“Tarnan.”

“What?”

Sara looked up at Jaal’s voice, not truly hearing his question. “Hmm?”

“You said ‘Tarnan’. What is a Tarnan?” he asked.

Sara furrowed her brow, returning to staring unfocused at the wall, “I don’t know. It didn’t translate.”

Then SAM spoke up through her omnitool, “Actually, Pathfinder, while Tarnan is a proper noun in the Jardaan language, it also has a translation. It means ‘the fractured’.”

Sara frowned in contemplation, “That makes sense.”

After a moment of silence, Jaal shifted, turning to rest his hip on the bench and address Sara directly in folded arm command.

“What are you thinking?”

Sara sighed, “I’m thinking that this new tech the Kett have is too powerful. How are we supposed to fight something like that?”

“I don’t know,” replied Jaal mournfully.

Sara leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs and letting her head fall into her hands, “Me neither.”

“Pathfinder, I may have an idea.”

Sara looked toward the ceiling, “At this point, any idea is a good idea, SAM. Let’s hear it.”

“The technology the Kett are using uses the Jardaan language, leading me to believe that there may be a connection. I would suggest visiting the database on Meridian to search for any mention of these ‘Tarnan’. It could yield no result, but it is a start.”

Sara didn’t hesitate, “Kallo, after we get to Kedara I want you to immediately plot a course for Meridian.”

“Roger that,” replied Kallo.

Pushing herself from the bench, Sara started for the door with renewed purpose.

SAM was right, they needed answers. Otherwise, they were fighting blind and guaranteed to lose.


End file.
